Nine persons, including two women and a child, were killed after a fire broke out at a hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata early on Wednesday, ANI reported.

At least three Bangladeshi nationals were among those who died, The Indian Express quoted an unidentified police official as saying. The others were from Meghalaya and Alipurduar in West Bengal, according to the newspaper.

The fire was reported at around 2 am and was brought under control by 4.30 am, ANI quoted the Kolkata Police as saying.

Sixty persons were rescued, the news agency quoted the police as saying.

A guest from Bangladesh told The Indian Express that the hotel had no firefighting system. “We woke up struggling to breathe in the smoke,” he said. “We somehow managed to escape.”

A police officer said that the dense smoke made it difficult for firefighters to climb the staircase and reach the upper floors, reported PTI.

The fire broke out in a congested area near New Market, which has several hotels that are popular with visitors from Bangladesh seeking medical treatment.

Police said the exact cause of the blaze was yet to be established.

The incident came two days after a fire in Tarapith town of Birbhum district killed eight persons. At least 15 hotels in the area were sealed and asked to stop operations afterwards, reported The Hindu.

Edited by Sneha.

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